CALLAWAY COUNTY SPECIAL SERVICES
Callaway County Special Services (CCSS) is a locally based agency formed to assist persons with developmental disabilities in their daily living by providing quality services to them and their families. CCSS provides services to these recipients by promoting independence and advocating human rights.

CCSS directly provides the following services to citizens of Callaway County with developmental disabilities.
• The Adult Enrichment Center provides assistance in learning daily living skills for use at home and in the community.
• Individualized Supported Living helps persons in their homes to learn activities to increase their independence.
• Fisher Heights Apartments provides teaching and support for individuals who have skills for independent living and the capacity to maintain themselves with minimal assistance.
• Brady Independent Living offers teaching and training in skills for independent living for people who live in and maintain their own apartments.
• Timbrook House provides supervised assistance and training for adults, in their homes, to learn and assist in daily living and promoting health and safety.

ECUMENICAL MINISTRIES
The presence of spiritual benevolence is truly unsurpassed in this community. Ecumenical Ministries (EM) is the local mission arm of Callaway County member churches from six denominations: Catholic, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Episcopal Church, Presbyterian Church (USA), United Church of Christ and United Methodist Church. EM churches join efforts, resources and hopes to accomplish work that might be difficult or impossible to do alone.

Ecumenical Ministries has pioneered several other model programs. The Kingdom Hospice program has been a model for several other communities around the state. Kingdom Hospice is a volunteer support program intended to meet the emotional, spiritual, physical and psychological needs of patients and families facing a life-threatening illness. The group also collaborates with the Regional AIDS Interfaith Network (RAIN).

EM also sponsors the Callaway County Jail Ministry, which sponsors weekly visits by lay and ordained ministers from several church backgrounds. These church volunteers come to see anyone in the jail who wants a caring visitor.

The Little Brother/Little Sister program is one of the oldest programs of Ecumenical Ministries. The goal of the organization is to provide reassuring relationships to children in kindergarten through fifth grade who are hindered by emotional distress, family breakdown, poor educational performance or physical disabilities. The program enlists college volunteers to interact creatively with these children, making matches between Westminster College and William Woods University students and area youth from the Fulton Public Schools and Missouri School for the Deaf.

EM also sponsors a weekly Bible Study at the Fulton Senior Center; the CROP Hunger Walk, which raises money for both worldwide and local hunger relief programs; the Habitat for Humanity program; a Youth Treatment Outreach Center; and Parish Nurses of Callaway. EM's Worship Commission sponsors an annual service of prayer for Christian unity and other spiritual services such as a community Thanksgiving service and the Fulton High School Baccalaureate.

SERVE
In 1972, Ecumenical Ministries found it could not meet the needs of the community through volunteer work alone. At that point, SERVE Inc., supported by public funding, was formed. SERVE, with a larger paid staff, oversees a food pantry, the clothes cupboard, a senior nutrition program and a vital transportation system. Eventually, EM and SERVE were able to organize a community-based soup kitchen and the Haven House project, which provides shelter to individuals or families with emergency housing needs.

SERVE operates the Callaway County Transportation System (CALTRAN). The system provides mass transportation with two types of service: demand response and fixed routes. SERVE provides these transportation services to the general public with priority given to elderly and handicapped persons.

Another SERVE program is Retired & Senior Volunteer Program or RSVP. This group matches the personal interests and skills of individuals 55 and older with opportunities to volunteer. RSVP makes it easy to find the type of service opportunities that appeal to the volunteers. Callaway County seniors volunteer over 39,000 hours to meet local needs.

OTHER AREA AGENCIES
Kingdom Projects Inc. provides meaningful work for disabled citizens in a learning environment. This not-for-profit organization subcontracts and manufactures supplies for industry. Activities at this sheltered workshop include producing, assembling, collating, creating, packaging and installing goods. The project sponsors glass, paper, cardboard, tin can, aluminum can and plastic recycling.

Callaway Action Network provides emergency services to income-eligible families that include Food Pantry, CAN VAN (a mobile food pantry), information and referrals, utility assistance, and limited prescription assistance. The Food Pantry is open year round, four days a week. The CAN VAN is available at scheduled times throughout the month at various locations in the community.

The Clothes Cupboard is a thrift shop open to the public that offers free clothing to individuals with referrals. Proceeds generated from the sale of donated household furnishings and clothing help fund the emergency support services of Callaway Action Network.

Adult Education & Literacy (AEL) offers free GED classes to anyone 16 or older who is not enrolled in a public school. Students can start classes at any time and work at their own pace. A state-certified teacher is on site to assist when necessary.